Jimmy Tibbs autobiography - can someone review it?

[TopGun]

In 2 minds whether to purchase a copy but want to hear if it is any good?

The last boxing book I read was Hatton's autobiography and it was terrible.

Are there any classic boxing story's in there that you wouldn't usually hear about unless you were behind the scenes? Any good nuggets on any current boxers?

If someone can review it and put it on here I would be thankful.

[Rexob]

Tight and fisted comes to mind.

[TopGun]

Tight and fisted comes to mind.

I'm more scarred from wasting my time reading so much dross over the years.

[orbtastic]

I ordered it this week, should arrive tomorrow. I think I said on the other thread about it that I was mildly dubious but open minded. I'll let you know if I get bored 2 chapters in.

I also got the Azumah Nelson book which has no reviews...

[mickey1975]

It's a good solid read.

[palooka]

It's a good solid read.

not really into this book reviewing lark are you mickey?

[JimJim2009]

Tight and fisted comes to mind.

I'm more scarred from wasting my time reading so much dross over the years.

I thought he meant Tibbs ! I'll get my coat

[mickey1975]

It's a good solid read.

not really into this book reviewing lark are you mickey?

That's a recommendation from me.

[orbtastic]

I'm a couple of chapters in. It's a good read so far. I'd say get a copy.

[boxref]

I'm half way through it and am thoroughly enjoying it. However, there are a few typographical errors in it. Herol Graham is referred to as Errol on two occasions. There are a few others.

[TJ77]

I've just got to the chapter I if honest bought the book for "troubled times".
And it's glossed over a bit which is disappointing but half expected given Jimmy's religious beliefs.
Other than that it's not bad thus far and I expect to finish it over the weekend.
I will post my opinion .

[mickey1975]

I've just got to the chapter I if honest bought the book for "troubled times".
And it's glossed over a bit which is disappointing but half expected given Jimmy's religious beliefs.
Other than that it's not bad thus far and I expect to finish it over the weekend.
I will post my opinion .

I wouldn't say it was glossed over, just not glamourised like it would be in a Blake Publishing 'Hardman" book.

[TopGun]

I've just got to the chapter I if honest bought the book for "troubled times".
And it's glossed over a bit which is disappointing but half expected given Jimmy's religious beliefs.
Other than that it's not bad thus far and I expect to finish it over the weekend.
I will post my opinion .

Thanks, please do. It could be the deciding factor of whether to part with my hard earned cash.....

[john2345]

I read it over three evenings. It's quite good, and I'd recommend it. I first heard of JT in the amateurs when the Mark Rowe fight in the ABAs was coming up (a friend of mine knew him, though not closely), and I had an interest in his career and life since then via Boxing News and newspapers. So even though I was familiar enough with things both inside and outside the ring I still found it worth the read.

He covers the troubled times in his life well, doesn't glamourise it, just gives his perspective on it. The Born Again part I found strangely interesting, after feeling that I'd just skim through it. His boxing career is described quite well, but to me, the best parts of the book are his insights into some of the fighters he worked with - Kaylor, Magri, and some of his current crop.

I thought it was a good, honest story of the man. No moans, tells it straight. Ok, maybe there's a bit more to tell, but that's his choice,

Far better than some of the other autobiographies I've read.

[orbtastic]

Tibbs on talk sport now

[TJ77]

Ok I have finished the book and I will give it 7 out of ten.
Reason being I don't feel Jimmy was as honest about his early life as he should have been.
That's not to say he needs to glorify the violence but acknowledge what he did in the book it would have taken a couple of pages and would have made the book complete.
I grew up knowing him as a boxing trainer who was a "face"back in the day I'm a fan of his work.
I wanted to know what exactly happened back in the day and I don't feel it was clarified enough.
That aside the rest is alright not great but good.
I liked Jimmy before and my opinion hasn't changed which says it all really for me you should read a person's biography and either like them more or less be affected by it and I wasn't.
Just my opinion .

[TopGun]

Ok I have finished the book and I will give it 7 out of ten.
Reason being I don't feel Jimmy was as honest about his early life as he should have been.
That's not to say he needs to glorify the violence but acknowledge what he did in the book it would have taken a couple of pages and would have made the book complete.
I grew up knowing him as a boxing trainer who was a "face"back in the day I'm a fan of his work.
I wanted to know what exactly happened back in the day and I don't feel it was clarified enough.
That aside the rest is alright not great but good.
I liked Jimmy before and my opinion hasn't changed which says it all really for me you should read a person's biography and either like them more or less be affected by it and I wasn't.
Just my opinion .

Thanks for this. I agree. Usually you read an autobiography and you tend to like the person more.

I never liked Roy Keane, read his autobiography and disliked him even more.

[Furey]

Going to look to buy this - mainly just to read up on some gym stories as he's been involved with a "who's who" of British boxing for a long long time.

[orbtastic]

I've finished it, got distracted by the Azumah Nelson book and the bank holiday.

I'll start out by saying I like Tibbs, he comes across as someone who is decent and has a sense of "what's right" and all that.

The book could very easily have slid into hard man cliché territory - Canning Town, the East End, my old man, righting wrongs, a punch-up, down the boozer etc but it avoids all that. The main problem I found with the book, as I found when listening to him being interviewed, is that it is very sanitised. It's like he can't find fault with anything and he can't say something even remotely critical, no matter how justified and true.

I found the early life stuff, boxing career and feud the most interesting parts. You gain little insight into any of the fighters he talks about, it becomes a "we got on great, he was a great little trainer, he was a triffic boxer, he is a great bloke, I wish him all the best, he's now training x". I wondered if it was because when he's talking about his wards, he's mainly talking about it in the third person when describing fights, it's almost like he watched the fight on TV and gives you a one paragraph summary of it. Any losses are glossed over in almost one sentence with no sense of insight into why the loss happened.

Still, I found it interesting but it was a chore towards the last quarter of the book. It's a shame because, as I say, I find Tibbs interesting and he clearly has a lot of character but you don't really get the sense that you know him any better, or a sense of what makes him tick etc.

Compare it with the George Francis book, or say, I dunno - The Gutteridge or Duff books and it just falls a little flat.

7/10.

[BOXINGBARMY1]

A bit like the frank bruno book. If you follow boxing in depth you already know whats coming next. A book you can scan through and be non the wiser. you already heard it years ago.

I agree that JT never says anything remotely negative about anybody.
When i met Dean Powell he was the same. You just could not get any info out of them for some reason.

If you asked them about the Yorkshire Ripper they would say " YEAH I KNOW PETER, HES A NICE FELLA."

So you stop asking questions. Perhaps thats why they sit on the fence so to speak.